Directions:
Slow cooker instructions:
Brown the beef in a nonstick skillet, breaking it up into fine bits. Drain off any excess fat. Add the beef and the remaining ingredients to a 2 or 4 quart slow cooker. Stir. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. If it is too wet, remove the lid and cook on high for 30 minutes.

Stove top instructions:
Brown the beef in a nonstick skillet, breaking it up into fine chunks. Drain off any excess fat. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir occasionally until most of the liquid has evaporated and everything is cooked through.

Cook the hot dogs according to your preference. Nestle into buns and top with chili and other desired toppings.

*Not chunky pasta sauce. Look for it in the canned tomato aisle.

My thoughts:

Every once in a while I am hit with an overwhelming urge for a chili dog. Unfortunately Baltimore has a severe lack of quality hot dog houses. There are some truly delicious yet deadly dogs from Ann's Dari-Creme out on Ritchie Hwy but that is quite a hike. There are a few in the city but none that I can say that I love. When I was a child, we'd make chili dogs with chili from the soup counter at the grocery store. I have to say, homemade chili is much better. And after developing an entire chapter of chili for my slow cooker cookbook, I am the self proclaimed slow cooker chili queen. I wish I had thought to put a recipe in for chili for hot dogs in the book (although it is a healthy slow cooker cookbook)but I didn't so the book's loss is your (free recipe) gain. Slow cooking the chili means that all you have to do to have from scratch chili dogs is to pop some stuff in the slow cooker in the morning, go about your day, come home, broil or grill some dogs for 10 minutes and you are ready to go.

There is a lot of contention on what makes the best chili for hot dogs (everything from a bean only mixture to the various versions of a "Coney" to a thin sauce) but this is what I like the most on my dogs. Not too spicy or chunky and with kidney beans. I think it is best made in the slow cooker where the flavors develop throughout the day but the stove top version is tasty too.

Wow, this is right up my esteemed partner's alley. Why I've never thought to actually make chili for him for chili dogs, I don't know. And your whole idea about the slow cooker does make it seem quite hassle-free. Must try, thanks.

oh jeebus, this looks yummy--and your recipes are always fantastic. i also imagine this chili would taste great on a poached egg! and i wonder how your cincinnati chili recipe would taste on a hot dog? probably delicious?